London Travel Forum

My questions are pretty basic...(my 1st trip overseas)....
I'll be bringing a computer and small radio. Will they plug
in to any wall outlet such as in a hotel? And, how do food prices compare in
grocery stores?..(a loaf of bread, for example),..could be up to 2.50
or $3.50 in California. Or a bottle of wine? A 16 ounce bottle
of red wine might cost between 8.00 and $15.00.. ..how would
London compare? Are there neighborhood stores such as "QuickStop"
stores here?
Is it possible to take a day trip only to Stratford? What
transportation would you suggest?

Thanks , as always
Ruthanna

Since you said the trip was "overseas," I'm assuming you are not from the UK. Therefore, you will need a plug adapter to fit your electical plug into a UK wall outlet. Your computer is probably dual voltage although you should check. The back of the transformer will say 120-240 volt if it is dual voltage. I suspect the radio may not be so that would require a voltage converter in addition to the plug adapter. I'd leave the radio at home. Even the cheapest hotel rooms have tvs for news and weather.

You can buy adapters and converters at any luggage store, most department stores, electronic stores and if you are in the USA, at Target or Walmart among others.

Check the following web site for all information on electronics (with pictures). http://www.kropla.com/electric.htm

Yes you will need a special adaptor for London. Now a days you can buy a compact set that covers you in most countries but I am old fashioned and find the single ones simpler if bulkier.

Re prices London is more expensive than Lancashire for example. It all depends on currency exchange rate as to how expensive it actually is at the time.
I reckon that if a drink costs me $5 Aust in Australia I will have to pay 5 British pounds in London so at present exchange rates you can work it out the same way. Us dollar is stronger than A$ so it will be cheaper for you than for me.

Yes there are grocery stores...well where we stay there are. I do not know what "Quickstop" is like.

Yes there are day tours to Stratford on Avon. Grab some brochures(there are a few different companies) and in one of them you will find a tour that only goes to the Cotswolds but it is not every day.
We went in April 2009 but we were transferred into a small cramped bus .Marg

The UK uses a 3-pin socket system, so you will need an adapter or two. Not all hotel rooms have radios..most have televisions.....so if you want to bring a radio (or anything else electrical) you must check that it will cope with the voltage.

Of course there are small shops, including what you might consider 'neighbourhood stores'...small supermarkets. People do live in central London (although many more commute from elsewhere) so there are shops. A small loaf of brad (not plastic-wrapped sliced) might cost from 70p upwards, wine from around 3GBP in a supermarket. As for 'decent' wine.....well, that's a matter of personal taste. Maybe 8GBP+?

London prices are higher than the rest of the UK for eating out & drinking, but food prices are much the same (the couth is slightly more expensive than the north). However, what I suspect you mean by 'neighbourhood stores' are always more expensive than ordinary supermarkets (many of which have smaller branches in towns and cities....vast hypermarkets and malls are not really the norm here).

Yes, you can take a daytrip to Stratford, although it is some distance. Most sensible way will be by train, because train is fastest.

www.nationalexpress.co.uk will give you train times and fares. Advance tickets, if available, are the cheapest option.......they can be bought up to 6pm the day before travel at the station, so it is worth popping in to do that.
Journey time is around 2.5 hours,and you can get direct trains from London Marylebone station. Trains from London Euston station involve 2 changes.

Fares depend on date and departure time, but you may be very lucky and get an advance return for 10GBP (truly amazing), although 20+GBP is more likely. These tickets can only be used on specific trains. A standard off-peak return fare is 32GBP, anytime rerutn is from 84GBP.........so you can see that making the trek to the station the day before is worthwhile. Trains do not get full-up, by the way. If there are no seats (unusual) one simply stands.

A cheaper method, taking longer, is by coach from London Victoria coach station. www.nationalexpress.com will give you times and fares. Journey time is around 3h 15m, return fare from 14GBP. Last coach back leaves Stratford at 17:45, so you would not have as much time to explore as with the train.

Last time I was in London I bought food items in Marks and Spencer, they had a Supermarket in their basement. They had ready made sandwiches, drinks etc. I know I was right in the heart of the city, could have been Oxford St near a tube station.

Check out the Chiltern Railways website, which has information on attractions in Stratford, including special offers. You can also pick up a leaflet with vouchers at the station.

http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/destination-guides/shakespeare-country/

The maximum you should pay for a rail ticket is £30, which is for a one day 'Shakespeare Rover' ticket, which also allows you to break your journey at intermediate stations. You can use it at anytime, and there is no need to book in advance.

Sorry, I forgot to say that I suggested the Chiltern Railways website for the Shakespeare country special offers, but www.nationalrail.co.uk is a better site for getting information on train times.

When we stay in London we usually stay in a self-catering place in central London. We sometimes buy our food at the local corner shop, where prices are always more expensive. Tesco, Sainsbury and M&S have outlets around the place - it all depends where you are going to be located - and they are convenient for buying a wider range of food at a more reasonable price than the corner stores. Gas stations also sell milk and bread and other small basics. If you give us the area where you are going to be staying, then it's possible one or other of us can give you a general idea of what is available for grocery shopping.16 fl. oz is 47cl, whereas a bottle of wine in Europe is 75cl - are you sure that you have the correct measurement for a US bottle of wine? Btw, it would really help us to answer if we knew your country of residence. I'd also ditch the radio, unless it is of the iPod or MP3 variety. If you're bringing a computer, then you will need an adapter of some description. However, you need to make sure that your hotel has internet access - I assume you need your computer for the internet, or perhaps you are only going to use it for a daily diary? Some hotels have wi-fi, some provide connection of any sort at no charge, some charge for connection, and some have no connection.

You can buy a reasonable 75cl of wine in a supermarket for about £5 - say 8 USD - there is no ceiling to price that could be paid for top wines!
You won't come across anything that is similar to the 2-buck Chuck the whole of California seemed to be drinking a couple of years ago.
If you buy a bottle of wine in a restaurant to drink with your meal you will find that the cheapest wine on the list could be £16 - £20 - often for a bottle you could buy in a supermarket for £5 - £8.
A 2lb loaf of good bread is about £1.80 and upwards - most bakery departments will slice it for you.
Mass produced sliced bread which tends, imo, to be doughy and tasteless is cheaper.

To calculate the exchange rate - which as said previously changes daily - use
www.XE.com

Love that typo from Leics the "couth" instead of south.
Does that mean us northerners could be uncouth?

Speak for yourself mate..I am the epitome of couthness (though I am a Midlander, of course). :-)

Nay, lad, couthliness is in the eye of the beholder!

Many thanks for your counsel and suggestions..will look for the dual voltage adaptor...

Ruthanna

Thanks for your tips and suggestions.....

A "Quikstop" is a chain of fast food groceries that stay open for
long hours; and many are set up to serve fast and cheap foods (packaged,
prepared) quickly..many of them have a microwave on the premises for that
purpose....
Ruthanna

Thanks for the informative post...the info on getting to Stratford will no doubt save a lot of nailbiting and/or frustration later. ...much 'preciated

Ruthanna

OK. Many thanks...

I'll be staying in Bloomsbury...

Good question: 16 ounces was just a guess. I don't have a bottl
on hand to look for Ounce size. ..but I'm thinking of the standard size
bottle one might buy in a grocery.. .(Actually,I think they're measured in Liters...not ounces) I do think the amount would be closer to 32 ounces..) But,
anyway, you've answered my basic question about costs..it's quite similar to prices in Ca.

Ruthanna
.

Glad to have "couth" elucidated. I wondered about it, but was trying
to connect to "youth"--perhaps a typo. (hestitated to ask: didn't
want to appear an outsider)... Was glad just now to find
"couth" in the dictionary. ("refined; sophisticated") makes sense.
I should have been able to figure this out..I .teach high school English..

Ruthanna

Never worry about appearing to be an 'outsider'......VT is not that sort of site.

Just ask!

Your Quickstop sounds like a combination of our supermarkets and (separate) fast-food take-aways....fish & chips, ethnic foods of all types, pizza etc. Supermarkets do sell ready-meals/sandwiches/pre-prepared and pre-cooked foods, but rarely hot. You are expected to do your own heating-up at home. Takeaways sell hot food, ready to eat.

So you could, for example, buy an Indian meal + rice/naan at a supermarket or at a takeaway, but you need your own oven or microwave for the suepermarket version. Supermarkets are therefore cheaper than takeaways (which offer a far greater variety anyway).